Improved apparatus and process op evaporating liquids



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v WWII@ 1 Jo-sIAH J. SHERMAN, or ALBANY, NEW YORK.;

Lasers Patent No. 86,948, ma February 16, 1s69 .i"

lIJMII?IROVIEED- APPARATUS AND PROCESS OF EVAPORATING- LIQUIDS.

The Schedule referre to in these `Letters Patent and making part of the same..

To all whom it may vconcern v Be it known that I, J osAH J SHERMAN,0` the .city of Albany, in the county of Albany, and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Apparatus and Process of Evaporating Liquids; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exaet'description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyfling drawings, making a part of this specification, in w ich- Figurel, sheet l, is a perspective view of one form of apparatus adapted for conducting the improved process.

Figure 2, sheet l, isa vertical section, taken centrally through the apparatus, exposing to view its interior construction.

Figure 3, sheet 1, is a verticalsection, taken transversely through fig. 2, in the plane indicated by red line X.

Figure 4, sheet l, is a vertical central section through an evaporator, having its pan or vat subdivided by hol' low partitions. Y

Figures 5 and 6, sheet 2, illustrate two modes of' removing the supplemental pans horizontally from aposition over an antecedent or lower pan, or vat.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The object of this invention is to utilize a large proportion or the whole of the latent and sensible heat of the vapor which escapes from vessels during the process of evaporating liquids, by combining, with one or more primary evaporating-vessels, one or more supplemental evaporating-vessels, in such manner that the latter shall be-exposed to the heat of thel vapor generatedin the primary vessel, or vessels, as will behereinafter explained. v

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe the best means known to me for carrying it into eifect.

In reference to the evaporating-pans orvessels, which I have represented in the accompanying drawings, I shall denominatethe evaporator which receives heat immediately from the furnace, the primary Vessel, and the others, I shall denominate suppleinental vessels.

B represents a primary vessel, which is properly set in a furnace, A. from which it receivesiheat.

This vessel B. as well as the furnace, may be constructed in the usual o r anyA suitable manner, and if desired to increase the evaporative capacity of the apparatus, two or more primary vessels may be employed, arranged side by side, in the same or different rc-,chambers. Y l

The vessel B is closed on top by a cover, C, which may be hinged, or otherwise attached, and between thisA cov'er and the upper edge of the said vessel or vessels,

as the case may be, a packing, b, of India rubber, or

other suitable material, is applied, which will make a tight joint when the cover is closed, and prevent the escape of vapor or steam rising from the liquid in thc primary vessel during the process of evaporation.

This cover C may be made of wood, or of such other l substance, or combination of substances, as will render it a good non-conductor of heat. Y

Above the primary vessel B, and supported by a suitable frame-work, L, is a steam-tight chest, D, made of a suitable non-conducting material, and having a supv'plem'ental vessel, F, fitted, in a suitable manner, into its upper end, so as to leave a steam-chamber beneath this vessel and the bottom of said chest.

The chamber, enclosed, in part, bythe bottom and side walls of the chest `D,'and the bottom and side walls of the evaporating-vessel F, communicates with the steam above the liquid in the primary vessel B, by means of a pipe, c, which may be made in part of a'iiexible substance, to allow the cover C to be raised when access is desired to the primary vessel.

The upper end of pipe a is curved over within the steam-chest D, in the form of a goose-neck, for preventing condensed vapor returning into the primary vessel. l

The steam lwhich rises from the vessel B, during evaporation therein, willl communicate more or less of its heat to the contents of vessel F, which is thus utilized for additional evaporation therein, and as this steam condenses, the water will be received in an annular channel, or trough, E, which is formed in the bottom ofthe chest D, and which surrounds the central elevation e, through which pipe a' passes, fromA which trough the water of condensation may be conducted on", through a pipe, f, to atank, I, or to any other suitable receptacle.

If the discharge-end of water-pipe f leads into the vessel I, and such end is immersed in the water therein, it is obvious that the density of. the vapor in the which are inserted steam-tight through one of its sides,

and also through one side ofthe chest D.

The cock n', near thextop of said Vessel F, serves vas an induction-passage for the liquid to be evaporated; andthe cock y, at or near the bottom of said vessel, serves as an eduction-passage to draw off thevliquid, and, by a proper tube or channel, to conduct it whereever desired. l

lhc drawing shows a pipe, g, leading from the eduction-cock gf, to and through the cover C of the primary vessel B, whereby liquid may be conducted fromthe supplemental vessel F, into this primary vessel, when it is desired to limit the degree of concentration in the former, and complete it in the latter'. v

For the purpose of further utilizing the heat generated 'in the primary vessel B, I arrange, on top ofthe steam-chest D, so as to cover the supplemental vessel F, another steam-chest, G, having fitted into it an evaporating-vessel, J, which parts maybe constructed like the corresponding parts upon which they are supported, asshown in thedrawings.

In this instance,'I make the bottom of the steamchest G, together with a packing, b', serve as a steaml and 3.

By this arrangement, the cover O and steam-pipe a, described in reference to the primary vessel 1B, are rendered unnecessary, and the loss of heat incident to such exposed parts is obviated.

In this modication, it is necessary to provide for occasionally lifting or removing the steam-chest Gr from its working-position, to allow convenient access to the fvessel J.

For this purpose, I may use ay lever, K, having its fulcrum at k, and connected, by a link and bail, or other suitable means, to the chest G, which chest is allowed a vertical movement, and is guided by the uprights of frame L, and studs or cleats applied to its sides.

A rope, attached to the longest arm of said lever, may be used for drawingdown this arm, and elevating the chest and its vessel, or blocks and tackle may be used, instead of a simple rope, for this purpose.

A pipe may be appliedV to the edncinon-cock m of thc vessel J, and caused to conduct its concentrated contents into either one of the vessels F B, or whereever' maybe desired.

In this modification of steam-chest and its evaporating-ve'ssel, I have also shown a mode of increasing automatically the restraint desired to be imposed upon the escape of the water of "condensation from the steamchamber in chest G, and thus also increasing the density and corresponding heat of th" steam contained therein, supposing it to be generated in greater quantities than will be absorbed by the bottom of vessel J, at or slightly above atmospheric pressure.

To this end, l employ a waste-pipeH, leading from the chamber in the steam-chest G, into the tank I. rlhis pipe may be made of any desired length, and it is carried down outside of' the tank I, and its nozzle passed over' the side of this tank, and immersed in the water therein, substantially as shown in figs. 1 and 2.

Its operation will be as follows z.

The water of condensation accumulating in the steamchest, having no exit but through the tube H, soon fills it toa height corresponding to thatof the tank. Hence, supposing the tank to be illed, the water ofeondensation cannot pass from the steam-chamber until it shall overcome, in addition to the atmospheric pressure, the weight of the column of water contained in the tankside of the pendentportion of the said pipe, and this confinement of the water afcondensation confines and intensities the steam also. But such increase of pressure in a steam-chest will not, in all cases, be desirable. Where circumstances will, admit of a suitable degree of horizontal enlargement of the supplemental evapo-. rating-vessels and their steam-chests beyond the size of the-pri nary vessel, or vessels, their comparative size may he so increased,.that their condensingor heat-absorbing surfaces will be more than equal to the absorption of all tl 1e `heat transmissible from one to the other, and in such cases, it is obvious that one enlarged supplemental vessel may suffice, not only for one, but for' several primary vessels, and the process and apparatus described, be simplified accordingly.

Where this horizontal enlargement is not ad-missible, two, three,or more supplemental vessels pay be i used their due relative positions, either directly, or by means of the proper communicating-pipes, obliquely above or away from their primary or antecedent vessels, or one another, will operate withvmore or less of ,the supplemental gains due to their use, according to heat within given horizontal limits, it is hot indispen-` sable that the bottoms of the vessels be anything more in this respect than simple metallic diaphragms, so placed and adjusted as to form flat steam-tight roofs to the chambers of the steam-chests.

Where it is desired to place a supplemental vessel directly upon a primary or another supplemental'vessel, a vertical stop-cock, passed steam-tight through both the roof and shed of the steam-chest, maybe substituted for the eduction-pipe g, when it is `desired to pass the contents ofthe superimposed vessel into the vessel below it. The supplemental vessels may be so constructed as to expose a very large amount'o'f surface 't'o the action ofthe heat in their steam-chests, within a given horizontal area.

This may be done by corrugating the bottoms of the vessels, or'by forming arched or hollow partitions, J, as shown in fig.f4, which rise from the bottom of the vessel J, a'. suitable height, and separate this vessel into several apartments, which latter communicate with each other through short horizontal pipes, p, pass.- ing transversely through said partitions.

There areseveral modes of removing the supplemental vessels, with their steam-chests, suiciently 'aside from their primary or antecedent vessels, to allow convenient access to them without injury to thepacking interposed to make steam-tight joints, aswould be required when one is placed immediately upon top of the other.

One mode is shown in iig. 5, sheet 2, and consists of four wheeled levers, ZV l, two on each side of the chest G, properly disposed and adapted to roll upon rails R, which are laid upon the chest D, containing the lower vessel or vessels.

In'this instance, o o are the short arms of the levers vibrating upon studs at s s, which confine the levers to the sides of the chest near its bottom.

The wheelsupon the levers abrd fnlcra, and will roll upon the rails R when the longest arms of these levers ared'epressed, as indicated iu red lines, iig. 5.

When the long arms ofthe levers are depressed far enough to elevate the steam-chest G upon its wheels, the chest may. be sustained in this position by the insertion of pins into it, over the long arms of said levers, as shown at i i, iig. 5.

When thus elevated upon wheels, the said chest can be easily rolled to one side of the lower vessel or vessels, and access conveniently afforded thereto.

Fig. 6, sheet 2, shows a modification of the levers above described, and consists in applying the wheels or rollers to the extremities of the shortest arms of the levers, so that the fulcrurn-attachments of these levers to the chest G, arebetween the said wheels and the force applied to the longest arms for lifting the chest. g

' I have above described several modes'of practically carrying out my invention, but I do not confine my self to the precise means herein shown, as other means equivalent thereto, and operating upon the same principle, may be employed. Y

Having described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- .eesses of evaporation, heat generated in the leisteen-be`v ters Patent, isffore it is allowed either to pass them or escape into The,condensing-apparatus, consisting of one or morethe atmosphere, or otherwise, all substantially as desupplementnl chests, with theirv steameehztmbers and scribed.

eVaporztting-mts, when constructed and adjusted With A J OSIAH J. SHERJSLAN.A relation to one :1.11otl1e1,2md in relation to one or more Witnesses primary evztporators, so its to take up and utilize, for CHARLES M. JENKINS,

purposes of further condensation, by succeeding pro- PAUL F. COOPER.' 

